Graveyard and Bombus Impress at Chicago House of Blues
Openers Bombus
By Jordan Young
Bombus
The dimly lit and ornate opera house-inspired Chicago House of Blues offered the perfect setting for a night of heavy rock and blues from Graveyard and Bombus. Unfortunately, the majority of the crowd filtered in too late to catch opening act Bombus (Matte, Feffe, Jonas, and Peter), who were playing their first show in Chicago on their first US tour. Although they were looking out on a less-than-full house, the band played with enough enthusiasm and aplomb to have rocked a packed stadium.
One of the first things I noticed about Bombus was their set-up: three microphones in the front and a bassist flanked by two guitarists with Flying Vs ~ letting us know we were in for a thrashing. The guitars in the first song, “The Poet And The Parrot,” kick off with a repetitive chug that instantly activated our headbanging reflex. About five minutes in, the song breaks into a bass solo ~ which caught the crowd off guard, as it’s a rare treat ~ then continued with a strong bass lick echoing the solo until its conclusion.
Bombus launched into the fifth song with a drum solo that would make any 80s hair metal fan happy. They then changed the tone a bit with the next song, “Cut Deep;” guitarist Feffe told the crowd, “That sexy boy in the middle [Jonas] is gonna sing it.” Most of the other tracks feature more screaming than singing, but this song instead highlighted singing with background shouting as the chorus. A faster song, “Safe Passage,” followed, blasting more into speed metal realm but with a deeper, heavier rhythm section.
Graveyard
The curtain came up for Graveyard ~ Joakim Nilsson, guitar & vocals, Jonathan Ramm, guitar, Rikard Edlund, bass, and Axel Sjöberg, drums ~ and revealed a stage set-up reminiscent of the 70s, pairing perfectly with the bordello-like backdrop of the House of Blues. Lit with red undertones and a couple of carefully placed floor lights, the scene matched the dark soulfulness of Graveyard’s music.
Graveyard
They opened their set with the bluesy jam “Blue Soul,” then upped the tempo by playing “…a song off the new album called ‘Seven Seven’,” singer and guitarist Joakim Nilsson informed the room. “Uncomfortably Numb” was a crowd favorite and they cheered with recognition after just two strums of the guitar. The song carried an emotional weight that was palpable in the room, and the audience sang along, some closing their eyes, many seeming to give their inner pain over to the music.
Graveyard left the stage for a quick break and then came back to hearty applause for their encore, which featured fan-favorite “Satan’s Finest.” The closing track on their self-titled album from 2007, the song showcased their hard rock psychedelic sound with a catchy riff and chorus. They ended strong with “The Siren,” which left everyone admiring Nilsson’s vocal prowess and his ability to emote and convey so much passion in his voice that you can’t help but feel it in your bones.
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Jordan has 14+ years of music industry experience and enjoys freelance writing and photography. Jordan co-founded and was Publisher and Web Director of Boxx Magazine from May 2012-December 2013. She has written for Runway Magazine, Venus Zine, and Illinois Meetings + Events. She can be reached at jordan@thejordanyoung.com.
Photos by Jen Lindner, twitter.com/jenlindner